It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year
by Gen Rhapsodos
Summary: DISCONTINUED. The Rosehart family spend quite an interesting Christmas holiday together. Packed with endless romance, humor, and some major butt-kicking! And thanks to all you fangirls out there. Your support was brillant! RyGo RachelxEmily ShayxNessa
1. Meet The Family

**It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year**

**Chapter 1: Meet The Family**

_**So here we are! My first Christmas special for all you special people! xD It took some hard brainstorming to come up with a decently good plot. By far one of my favorites. I think you'll agree. Sorry the breaks got cut out. ^_^U Hope it's not too hard to follow along. And it's our first Christmas, we the role-playing family consisting of my bueno amigos, Liz, Nikki, Nessa, and I give a huge hug for my real-life best friend, Cassie, (a.k.a. 'Vicky') who stuck with me throughout the good times and the bad. I love you, you big dork. =) And I want to dedicate this story to all of you. You guys rock my world. Thanks for your friendship and support.**_

"How do I look?" Emily asked, flustered and fidgety. Shay took a brief inspection of what his friend wore and heaved an irritated sigh.

"You look beautiful, as always," he told her truthfully.

The pair stepped up onto the porch and the musician knocked on the wreathed door of the Rosehart residence. Shay watched as his breath came out in steamy clouds, evaporating into the crisp winter air.

Snow sparkled like diamonds in the dim light cast by the porch lamp and blew from the drifts across the street. All was silent except for the distant howling of dogs and the crunch of ice under their boots.

Emily shivered violently and leaned against Shay for warmth, her teeth clattering audibly. He had been about to knock on the door again when it swung open to reveal an excited-looking Rachel.

"Hey baby! …Hey Shay," she added less enthusiastically. Emily brightened, throwing herself into her lover's waiting arms while Shay grunted a 'hello' and pushed past the embracing couple.

Rachel shut the door behind her girlfriend, flashing her a cheerful Shego-ish grin. The young Brit gave a content sigh as she pressed up to the green-skinned teen and held her numb fingers to her neck to help unthaw them.

The dark-haired vampire gasped at the shock of the cold sensation against her bare skin.

"H-Holy crap. You're hands are _freezing!_"

"I thought it was your job to warm me up..."

"Psh, yah. I'd do more than just 'warm' you up." Rachel winked and tilted her human lover's head up to meet her lips in a soft kiss.

The brunette's heart fluttered at the contact, sending a shiver up her spine that had nothing to do with being cold.

She grabbed the back of Rachel's head and held her firmly, their mouths crushing together forcefully.

"_MMMPH!_" the older female vocalized, eyes widening.

Emily stood on her tip-toes so she could be level with Rachel's slightly higher mouth, and to get more out of the kiss.

_Oh man, _Rachel thought, eyes rolling back as the brunette's hot tongue brushed along her upper lip, asking to be let in.

Emily could taste cinnamon. The pale-green vampire accepted the invitation, wincing as she felt her lips swell up a bit from the pressure of the brunette's hard kiss.

Rachel parted her sore lips and nearly choked when Emily thrust her eager, wriggling tongue into her open mouth. The actress' hold around her neck became a death-grip.

"Rachel, could you make Shay a drink? He likes-" Shego's voice trailed off from behind the pair.

She had been standing there, unseen, with her hands placed on her tilted hips and a look of mild amusement.

Both teens quickly jumped a foot apart, flushing with embarrassment at being watched during such an intimate moment.

"Geeze, Mom. Don't sneak up on us like that! God!" Rachel sounded resentful at the interruption.

"It could have been worse if your Mother had seen you two sucking face."

"I hate it when you're right."

"I know." A satisfied grin appeared on the villainess' face.

"…Could have at least saved my dignity…" mumbled her daughter, stomping off to make Shay an alcoholic beverage at her mini-drink bar in the basement.

There were a few moments of uncomfortable silence between the two women.

Shego was the first to break it by chuckling softly. "Could I ask you for a favour?"

Surprised and shocked to be addressed by this jaw-droppingly beautiful woman, who bore an almost twin-like resemblance to her lover, the brunette went as red as a ripe tomato and suddenly found the patterns on her socks to be very interesting.

"I know this might be asking too much but, can you and my daughter keep the kissing and such to a minimum in front of Rynn? I don't want her to-"

"Get upset, yeah I get it, " Emily finished icily. "But I'll try…for my favourite future mother-in-law."

"Future...mother…" Shego blinked, "Eh…okay?" Her 'fatherly' instincts kicked in and she had to bite her tongue to prevent herself from saying something she might later regret.

"I'll refrain from touching Rachel. " Emily smiled innocently and glomped the thief.

"_Uhhh_, ahem. " The blushing teenager let go.

"Thanks for giving me your word. And I'm sure my wife will come around soon and accept that our daughter has chosen you as her partner, her mate."

Emily blushed deeper as Shego said 'mate', dipping her head so low that her chin nearly touched her chest.

Both women entered the kitchen to join the others. Shay, sitting at the table, flashed her a fervent smile when she walked in with the green thief at her heels.

Rynn, who wore an apron with cute little snowmen on it, gave her a glare that would make even the devil himself cringe in fear. Nessa waved lazily in Emily's direction then returned to eating a piece of fudge, smiling delightfully.

Kaine, her brother, sat next to her quietly, reading a book. Shego fluidly strode across the kitchen towards Rynn, ruffling Shay's hair as she passed him. The pretty elf beamed, her sea-blue eyes twinkling.

The green woman hooked an arm casually around the red-head's petite figure and whispered something in her ear. Rynn blushed a moment later, and buried her face cutely in the nape of Shego's neck, and planting a light kiss on her exposed jugular.

Shay attempted to converse with Nessa.

"So…how's it been?" he asked somberly, cocking his head at an angle.

_Why the hell does he have to stare at me like that?! He's so cute it scares me…_

She stood up from her chair and stretched before replying in a bored voice, "I'm just fine and dandy. Wanna join me in the den for a movie? Not too much excitement here."

"Meh, I suppose," he replied, trying to sound indifferent.

Kaine gave his sister a silent nod before burying his nose into his comic book again. Rachel appeared as the two ex-lovers left the room, wearing red skinny jeans and a green shirt that was quite low in the chest area. Emily gawked at her girlfriend's sexy attire.

Rachel smirked, pleased. "You're gonna catch flies, love."

The brunette shook her head furiously, trying to dislodge inappropriate images from her perverted mind. "You look absolutely _dashing_ in that outfit," she admitted, her mouth dry.

"I love your accent so _fucking_ much right now," the green female said, voice almost a growl. Emily could only utter a muffled grunt before Rachel launched an oral attack on her.

The young actress had her back pressed up against the wall in the blink of an eye, feeling the familiar warmth and softness of Rachel's body touching hers. Her stomach was doing flips and her throat closed up, making it almost impossible to breathe and even more so with Rachel's intense series of hungry kisses.

To Emily's immense relief, Rachel paused, her lips stopping in mid-kiss.

"Something's…different about this," she declared, gazing into her lover's puzzled grey eyes.

"Different in a bad way?"

The vampire shook her head, looking uncertain. "I can't put my finger on it but-"

Emily gently cupped Rachel's face in her hands, caressing her cheeks. The unaging teen shrugged and without hesitating, swept Emily up into her arms and carried her off to the nearest deserted bedroom, all further thoughts forgotten.

_****_

"You're adorablely cute when you wear this," Shego commented, playfully tugging on Rynn's red Santa hat. She chuckled, then reached down and groped the elf's butt.

Rynn flushed madly and squealed as the green woman squeezed her hard.

"Don't make Santa put you on his naughty list."

"That's another list I've been put on since I became one of the world's most wanted, hon," the sexy thief jeered, flashing her gleaming fangs.

"Then show me watcha got, hot stuff," Rynn purred seductively and grabbed the villainess by the collar of her trademark catsuit, inching towards her mouth with slightly parted lips.

Someone coughed. Shego stopped; her emerald-green eyes darted around the room for the source and rested on Kaine, who had remained, supposedly reading, in the kitchen. He flipped a page in his book, calmly smiling at the thief who now stared at him dumbfoundedly.

"Um, hi…?"

Their make-out moment having been rudely interrupted, Rynn skipped girl-ishly into the living room. Nessa and Shay, meanwhile, had settled down comfortably on the big couch watching 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas' on an impossibly large flatscreen TV.

Shay gave a start and lifted his head off Nessa's lap as Rynn bounced joyfully into the occupied room, humming a merry tune and grinning from ear to ear.

"Hola, amigos!"

The musician rolled his eyes, letting his head drop back onto Nessa's lap again. Nessa, unlike Shay, was glad to see the red-head.

"Food ready yet?" she asked hopefully.

"In a bit…" Rynn answered distractedly, "and we have more guests coming, too."

"_Who?"_

"Team Go…" The elf scratched her cheek.

"Oh dear god," Nessa muttered quietly, unintentionally poking a sleepy Shay in the eye.

"YOW!!!"

"Geeze, you don't have to scream in my ear, dummy!"

"You nearly put my goddamn eye out for christsakes woman," the injured male grumbled, rubbing his sore eye.

"Aww, poor baby. Here."

She placed a soft kiss on his forehead. He blushed, hiding his face in her shirt. It was Rynn's turn to roll her eyes in annoyance.

"But the thing is…I haven't told Shego or dropped any hints," she admitted. "Bad idea, huh?"

"Uh, _yeeeah._ 'Bad' doesn't even begin to cover it. They don't exactly 'get along' well as you may remember their last _encounter_-" Nessa broke off. She didn't need to explain. Rynn remembered it as clear as day.

The elf gulped, Nessa shook her head. "Having second thoughts on inviting them now? I would."

"No. Shego _needs_ them in her life, she needs their support."

Shay mumbled something under his breath, rolled over onto his back, and gripped Nessa's shirt in his hand. She lovingly tousled his spiky black hair with a look a deep adoration as he smiled warmly up at her.

Rynn cleared her throat loudly, not liking the current mood. They were making googly eyes at each other like a couple of love-sick puppies.

Just then, Shego chose that moment to waltz smoothly into the room, bringing her day-dreaming wife back down to earth. The red-head's heart gave an extra _thud_ when the thief hugged her from behind, her warm, curvy body brushing up against Rynn's back. The villainess' strong arms were securely wrapped around her mid-section.

The older woman inhaled, catching a whiff of Rynn's fruity-smelling shampoo.

"Shego," she half-moaned.

"Mhm?"

The raven-haired beauty's hot breath on her neck threw her off course at what she had been about to tell her lover. It was so easy to get distracted around her.

_Ding dong!_ went the doorbell.

Panicking, Rynn whirled around, knocking Shego off her feet and sending her sprawling head-first onto the couch.

"Oh shiiit!" She knocked heads with Nessa and Shay was suddenly on the floor. He stared at Nessa in surprise. She grinned stupidly at the fallen musician, hiccupping and looking dazed.

"Happy birthday, Bob!!! What time is it???"

He sweat-dropped and scratched the back of his neck.

The thief groaned and rubbed her throbbing head, frowning when she felt a bump under her fingers. Rynn had fled for the door, leaving the trio caught in a tangled mess of arms and legs.

"What got into Rynn?" Shego mumbled to Shay. He shrugged and turned his attention back to Nessa, who was now curiously looking down at her breasts like she had never seen anything like them before.

"Shego!" A deep voice boomed cheerfully.

The said woman jumped, then robotically turned to look in the direction the voice had come from.

She grimaced as her eyes focused on Hego who was closely flanked by the rest of Team Go.

"Sis!" the identical twins cried. Mego crossed his arms, clearly unhappy. Rynn was standing awkwardly beside the brothers, giving Shego an apologetic smile. For a moment, nobody spoke. Then the thief exploded.

"_WHAT ARE YOU IDIOTS DOING IN MY HOUSE?!"_ she shouted, the corner of her mouth twitching. Her hands clenched into tight fists, knuckles cracking. Her oldest brother cowered, backing up and bumping into Mego who muttered: "Told you this was a bad idea…"

"Now, now, Sis. D-don't rip our heads off," Hego stammered fearfully at his sister, about ready to wet himself.

"Not what I had in mind but _better_," Shego growled darkly through her teeth. Rynn stepped in, seeing that her lover was getting angrier by the second.

"Sweetheart…" That was all it took. The raven-haired beauty sighed, all defiance gone.

"I know I'm going to regret this but, you guys can share the guest rooms upstairs." She'd rather eat glass then to be polite to the idiots. It was hard to fight the urge to keep from going up to both Mego and Hego and wringing the life out of them with her bare hands.

"And break or touch anything and I'll punch you in the-"

The elf took over, addressing them in a more friendly tone and manner. "Dinner is almost ready. You can bring your luggage upstairs and make yourselves at home."

"Or not…"

The red-head gave Shego a reproving look. Then the atmosphere got calm and peaceful. _The work of Kaine no doubt_,Shego thought irritably. She needed to change the topic.

"So where's our daughter?" Rynn blinked like she had something in her eye.

"She's upstairs with-" Shay started and stopped when the plasma-wielding woman threw him a threatening glare. The elf's ears twitched. As if she could read Rynn's thoughts, the thief held her back.

"Is it really worth getting Rachel mad at us?"

Her wife pouted and opened her mouth to argue. "No, but-"

"Stop worrying about her love-life choices. It's Christmas. It's a time to spend with family," Shego said, a broad grin forming," and friends to celebrate the joy of life." There was light sarcasm in her last sentence.

"Where did you read that? From the back of a cereal box?" Mego sneered curtly, "You were always the Grinch of the family when we were kids."

The villainess' face fell. "And _that_ right there was why I hated Christmas…because of that stupid nickname…My skin's green, big fucking deal!"

The Wegos exchanged a guilty look, shame-faced.

Shego looked so deeply hurt that Rynn pulled her into a comforting hug, stroking her sleek black hair.

That's when Shay stood up, facing Mego. All eyes turned to him curiously. "I don't care if you're her brother or not, you don't say go and say shit like that," he said coldly.

_Shay…_Nessa smiled, reaching out and taking his hand. _…You're such a sweetheart, but you don't give yourself enough credit for it…_

Mego was stunned and speechless by the unexpected comeback. Shego looked at the musician and had an expression on her pale face that he had never seen before. Her emerald-green eyes fixed on his momentarily before she turned away, jaw stiffening.

"Buddy, take a good look at me and my brothers," Mego interjected," Do you think we're _normal_ with our skin color-?"

"That's quite enough, Mego," interrupted Hego dryly, guiding his purple-skinned brother up the stairs with the twins following behind silently. Shego turned on Shay.

"I don't need your pity. Just mind your own business for once in your life," she said quietly, storming out of the living room, her shoulder brushing roughly against his as she passed. Rynn went after her pleadingly. Nessa saw him tremble slightly and she held his hand tighter.

"Shay, don't take it to heart. " He laughed humourlessly.

"Too late," he told her bitterly then stocked off in the opposite direction the thief had gone.

_****_

Rachel ached in places she never knew she had. Emily lay beside her in the bed, panting and her long brown hair was plastered to her forehead from sweating.

"Holy shit, you're a frikkin' natural!"

The brunette blushed at this comment. "I guess. But you're the first woman I've been with." Rachel arched an eyebrow. "In a long-term relationship was what I meant," Emily added hastily.

"That's because no other woman has ever loved you as much as I do." The green-skinned female rolled over on top of her partner, their naked bodies touching in places that made Emily's libido go crazy.

"And I love you with all my heart and soul. My love for you is unconditional and irrevocable."

"Just what I wanted to hear," Rachel whispered fervently, covering the younger woman's face with tender kisses.

_****_

Rynn searched high and low throughout the big house: In the master bedroom with a hot-tub and a king-sized bed she shared with the thief, in the spare rooms, even the attic and basement. There was no sign of Shego anywhere.

The villainess had completely disappeared. This worried the red-head greatly. She hated seeing the woman she loved with all her being hurt, whether physically or emotionally.

_Nessa was right, it WAS a bad idea to bring them here…_

Rynn remembered playfully teasing Shego about her complexion a long time ago, when they had first started dating. She realized how much it had hurt her and felt horrible for it. She then swore never, ever, for a long as she lived, hurt the villainess like that again.

Shego, with her 'I don't give a rat's ass what other people think' attitude merely shook it off nonchalantly. Acting like it had been no big deal when it really was.

_That's Shego for ya, stubborn, sarcastic, and unearthly beautiful. Not to mention an absolute goddess when it comes to sex._

Rynn glumly resumed her search for her missing beloved.

_****_

Shay had gone outside, hoping to clear his troubled thoughts. It was snowing. Large white flakes landed in his hair and on his clothes, only to melt a few seconds later. He found his way onto the roof of the three-story high house, slipping on its icy shingles and once nearly falling off and landing to the back-breaking drop below.

Even though the air was frigid, the musician did not feel at all cold. It was thanks to the powerful meteor he had obtained a few months before in Go City.

"Hey." Movement to his right.

Startled, Shay lost his footing and hit his arm, scraping it painfully on a rough piece of loose shingle. A thin line of dark red blood formed from his left elbow to his wrist. He hissed in pain and clutched his arm.

"You klutz, " Shego muttered, getting up her perch a few feet away from where he had fallen and calmly walked over.

His eyes followed her every movement and then narrowed. "Go away."

"You're bleeding…"

He snorted ignorantly and spun around on his heels. A warm hand took a firm hold of his injured arm.

"Oww. Will you-" The thief twirled him around to face her, her lips pursed and frowning. Shay gave up his resistance but avoided eye contact. Without speaking, she carefully dabbed at the deep gash in his forearm with a handkerchief, issuing small gasps from the young celebrity.

She wiped most of the blood from the wound, and his arm was shaking. Shego looked at him purposely.

"I'm sorry, Shay."

"And for what exactly?"

"For telling you to piss off. Thanks for sticking up for me, too…Though I'm a bit surprised."

"Eh?" He swallowed the lump in his throat nervously, fidgeting uncomfortably.

"Uh, it's all good. It's cool."

"But I have to admit that was one of the sweetest, most caring things you've ever done for me," she murmured quietly, giving his wrist a squeeze.

"Any one of the others would have done the same thing, ya know. Rynn may have inflicted some bodily harm but…"

"But having that come from you was…kinda nice," the green villainess explained. "Thank you."

"You can stop saying it; I got it the first time."

"Thaaank yoooou Shaaay," she sing-songed teasingly, laughing. He covered his ears to drown her out.

"Put a lid on it will ya?!"

"Aww, c'mere you!" Shego gave him a noogie and let her arm hang around his neck as they walked across the rooftop. "Let's go eat shall we?"

He smiled, his good arm automatically wrapping around her waist gently. "You betcha. Do you know you look really…great in that Santa hat?"

"Don't push it, Uchiha…"

_**BONUS!!!**___

_**(Rynn was remembering Shego's 'encounter' with her brothers…It's funnier if you imagine it chibi-style! ^o^)**_

_**SHEGO: **_***punches fist through window of a Porche* "You're all mine now baby." *hops into car wearing a triumphant grin***

_**TEAM GO: **_** *blasts a hole through brick wall***

_**HEGO: "**_**Stop thief!!! In the name of the law!!!" *jaw drops* "Sis?" *gawks stupidly at Shego***

_**MEGO: **_**"What are you doing???" *eyes her suspiciously***

_**SHEGO: **_**"Hmm, let's see…I'm a Porche…in a car dealership…where lights are flashing and burglar alarms are going off." *scowls* "Wow, you must be getting dumber by the minute." *mutters* "Idiot…"**

_**WEGO 1: **_**"We must ask you to exit the vehicle and put your hands up where we can see 'em!"**

_**WEGO 2:**_** "Hey big sis! What's up?" ^___^**

_**HEGO: **_**"Please step out of the-" *dodges green plasma* O_o**

_**SHEGO: **_**"Seriously. Like I'd just give in because you're my brothers." *rolls eyes, getting irritated* **

_**MEGO: **_**"Quit acting like a stuck-up beyotch and-" *blinks***

_**SHEGO: **_***eyes twitches* "Acting like…a stuck-up WHAT??!!" *anger mark appears* "Now you're getting it!!!" *fires plasma at Mego murderously***

_**WEGOS/HEGO: **_***sweatdrops, slowly sneaking away***

_**WEGO 2: **_***shrugs* "He had it coming."**

_**WEGO 1: **_**"Yup." *nods***

_**HEGO: **_***stomach growls* ^_^U**

_**MEGO: **_**"Mommy…" *whimpers* X___X**

_**SHEGO: **_**"Wimp." (-_-)"**

_**END!**_

_**The next bonus will be a hundred times funnier I assure you friends! Keep watch for chapter two! xD I have no idea why I decided not to call Shego 'Shaiana' in this one…I guess it sounds better. And there will also be a bonus chapter after the second one. I didn't want to put it into the storyline so…yeah. ^_^u**_


	2. Under The Mistletoe

**Chapter 2: Under The Mistletoe**

**Here's part two! xD The playlist that inspired this chapter is as follows: Speed Of Sound – Coldplay, Savin' Me – Nickelback, Animals – Nickelback, Photograph – Nickelback, Two Is Better Than One – Boys Like Girls ft. Taylor Swift, and more. Mostly songs from 'All the Right Reasons', my favourite Nickelback album. Thanks for reading and don't forget to favourite and review! =D**

"Could you pass the gravy please?" Hego, his mouth full of turkey, handed Rachel the requested bowl. Shego merely looked revolted by her oldest brother's eating habits. Three of Rachel's friends had show up to join them as well as Vicky, Shay's only sibling. They were all sitting around the big table, which was piled high with delicious food.

There was a huge stuffed turkey on a large white platter, mashed potatoes, an assortment of yummy vegetables and an ample supply of beer and wine. Everyone was chatting excitedly, seeming to have a hearty appetite for Rynn's cooking, shoving down second and third helpings with ease.

Rynn was delightedly pleased with all the compliments she received, belches included, and was constantly bombarded with questions on her recipes.

"_Mmm!_ This stuffing is delish!" Nessa commented brightly, licking her lips. "What's your secret?"

The elf shook her head as if scolding a child and stuck out her tongue. "Nuh-uh. Top secret ingredients."

Shego chuckled, popping an olive into her mouth. "And _I _got to sample all of her cooking. Uh-_maze_-ing."

Emily, sitting between Shay and Rachel, piped up with a shy smile. "A toast to Rynn for her wonderful cooking skills!" She raised her glass high in the air. Rynn beamed, half-surprised by the brunette's kind gesture, as everyone chinked their glasses together to her in kudos.

The green villainess kissed the red-head on the cheek, proudly grinning. "Merry Christmas, sweetheart."

"_Merry Christmas!!!" _Everyone cheered then resumed talking amongst themselves gifts they had given or received.

Rynn gave Emily a barely noticeable nod of acknowledgement. Rachel kissed her lover and conducted a whispered conversation with her. The Wegos entertained themselves by flicking corn kernels at Mego, bursting into laughter when he threw them dirty looks.

Shego snorted in amusement, wiping her mouth with a napkin and observing the twins. "Try and aim for his eyes," she encouraged and snickered meanly.

Shay picked his teeth with a toothpick and pushed his chair back. "Now that was what I call an excellent meal," he declared over the noisy chatter that now filled the dining room. "I am so looking forward to dessert." He sighed contently and folded his arms behind his head.

"Where's your daughter?" Rynn asked.

"Huh? Sorry?"

"Where's Shaiana?" the elf repeated.

"Oh, she couldn't make it. She's at an art show in London until next week. Displaying her drawings you know?" he replied, taking a swig of red wine.

"What kind of art is she into?"

The musician was taken aback by her sudden interest. "Realistic drawings, comic strip sketches…she's really quite talented actually."

"And it seems like she has your musical genes, too. I previously heard one of her songs. Great voice," said Rynn, spearing the last carrot on her almost-empty plate and chewing thoughtfully.

"I'll tell her that." Shay grinned. Mego, overhearing their conversation, snapped his fingers.

"That's where I remember you from! I went to one of your concerts last year. _Shay Uchiha…_I knew it rang a bell. "

The musician scratched his cheek. "Uh, yeah, " he muttered, his dislike of the purple man still strong.

"Could I get an autograph?" He looked hopeful.

"Could I get a picture with you?" a blonde girl who sat near them asked timidly. Shay shifted in his seat, tugging on his shirt collar. The blonde was one of Rachel's friends and had been batting her eyelashes at him whenever he looked in her direction.

"Give the poor guy a break," Shego said, punching his shoulder and making him wince. "He doesn't need more fangirls...," She threw Mego a malicious glance," or _fanboys_."

"Are you suggesting I'm _gay_?!" he cried, turning multiple shades of red.

"To a high degree yeah. Need I remind you of those Oh Boyz posters you pinned up on your wall when-"

"They're a good band!" Mego retorted defensively, staring fiercely at his smug sister.

"A _boy_ band might I add. I believe that has 'gay' written all over it." Someone snickered.

Hego laughed and failed to cover it with a forced cough. The thief loved to make Mego squirm helplessly.

"And I'm willing to bet my reputation that you probably have a life-sized cardboard cut-out of our man Shay here." She patted Shay's back to add emphasis. He gagged. Nessa cracked up.

"Okay Mom. That's just gross," Rachel commented vigorously, making a disgusted face.

Emily giggled. Then everyone resumed eating in silence. Hego decided to ruin the mood. He cleared his throat; a few people looked up from their plates.

With his blue eyes on Shego, he asked: "So who's the man?" He was clearly speaking of the thief and Rynn.

Things seemed to happen all at once.

Shay spit-taked pop all over his sister, who had been sitting across from him. Vicky bellowed angrily, wiping her sticky face and she lurched at the musician with the table wobbling unsteadily under her weight.

"GAH!" he shouted as his chair broke and he fell over unto the tiled kitchen floor with a deafening crash.

Rynn coughed, completely red in the face. Hego was bewildered by their reactions to his question and sat with his mouth open in a comical 'o'.

Shego was coughing violently. She stood up, hands clutching feebly at her throat and was gasping desperately for air. Nessa attempted to help her friend but fell over due to have drunk so much wine.

The green woman's face was slowly turning a darker shade.

Shay leapt to his feet before anyone could react further to the situation and threw his sticky sibling off of him. She toppled over, fuming. The rest of the villainess' brothers were frozen in their seats.

He locked Shego into the Heimlich Maneuver and heard a loud crack as he squeezed his arms tightly around her torso. The piece of roasted chestnut that had lodged in her throat shot out and hit Mego's forehead dead-center and ricocheted.

"OWWW!!!" he yelped.

The twins fell over, laughing hard, clutching their stomachs and rolling around on the floor. Shay released the thief, who was panting heavily and glaring at Hego. He quivered in fear. Rachel and Emily were both gaping, jaws dropped, and having not yet processed what had just happened.

"Shit…You broke my rib," said the raven-haired beauty, elbowing Shay who still stood behind her. He muttered an apology. Biting her lip to keep from crying out in pain, she cracked the bone back into place. "_Fuck_, " she hissed.

Hego blanched and clamped a hand over his mouth. Rachel was at her side in a flash.

"You okay Mom?" she asked, resting an arm around her shoulders.

"Yeah. But Hego won't be in exactly five seconds."

The said man dove under the table, crawling away to safety amongst the pairs of feet and legs. Vicky kicked him and sent him rolling onto his back. Shego, shaking with rage, ignited a hand and held it dangerously close to his face.

"_I'm gonna shove my fist so far up you're a_-" Hego had made a futile attempt to break free from her grasp. A big mistake on his part. Her plasma burned off his eyebrows and the smell of burning hair and flesh filled the air. He whimpered; sweat dripping from his mildly burnt face as he stared up at her, terrified.

A pair of gentle arms pried the thief off the terrified hero. "No Shego…Leave him," Rynn told her.

The enraged woman's dark eyes turned back to their usual green. The blonde girl ran out of the kitchen and out the front door, screaming bloody murder.

Shay snorted back the urge to laugh; Rynn threw him a sharp look that immediately shut him up. Mego was rubbing his forehead tenderly. Nessa poured herself more eggnog into a shot glass and sat back comfortably to watch what would happen next between the two siblings.

Shego could suddenly felt the tense air in the room suddenly grow calm. Kaine had once again changed the mood. So everyone relaxed and began talking like the thief hadn't tried to burn Hego to a crisp.

After dessert had been served, Shay went off and sat by himself in the living-room. He listened to the others in the kitchen, their voices were filled with mirth and vigor, making him feel at ease.

He glanced to his right. The Christmas tree stood proudly, its bright lights blinking, near the TV stand. Presents wrapped in colourful lacy ribbons were piled neatly under it, ready to be opened. He smiled, stuffing his hands into his jeans pockets, and watched the lights flicker every few seconds.

Heavy footfalls sounded behind the musician. He did not need to turn around to know who it was.

"Hello there handsome," Nessa drawled, staggering like a drunk. Correction: she _was_ drunk. Shay could smell the alcohol on her breath as she neared him.

"Why are ya all by yourself? You missed Shego throw a pie at Hego's face, " she gushed, her words slurring slightly.

"Ah, I wanted to get some quiet time." He laughed dryly. "Shego threw a pie at him? Oh man, the poor guy's really getting it." Truthfully, he did feel a bit sorry for the blue hero. But he was almost relieved it wasn't _him_ receiving the abuse.

Nessa leaned against her ex-lover to support herself. Despite her drunken state of having no balance and being unable to stand upright, she was surprisingly quiet for the longest time. She was usually all over the place and very flirty when she was drunk. Or so Shay thought.

"Haven't you got a new girlfriend yet?"

"No. Should I have one?"

Her tone became agitated. Another question escaped from her lips. He had to lean in to hear.

"You haven't even tried to move on since we broke up?" Shay hesitated then slowly shook his head.

When he didn't say any more, the dark-haired female sighed and poked his cheek.

"Idiot…"

Laughter echoed from the next room and chairs scraped across the floor. The others were going to file in, having eaten their meal. Realizing he only had less than a minute to spare alone with Nessa, the vampire pulled her to him, and not thinking about why he did so, kissed her full on the mouth.

Nessa neither slapped him nor resisted. The feel of his lips on hers was addicting. She _wanted_ him to kiss her.

"There are plenty of bedrooms upstairs," Rachel called over to them, smirking.

"Let them snog! It's Christmas!!!" Emily cried happily as if that were a good reason. Shay released Nessa; face reddening and he backed up a step. She hung onto him like a monkey.

"Why are you climbing on my back?" She didn't respond but bit his ear instead. "Ew, don't do that." He scowled.

"So who's up for some music?" a Wego exclaimed. Shego shrugged.

"If you be the DJ and not play any country, it's cool with me."

Rynn cheered, looking ecstatic. Vicky leaned against the wall and stared at them with intense blue eyes. She avoided social events whenever possible.

Hego was holding a steaming mug of hot chocolate and when he drank from it, a thin brown line appeared on his upper lip. Mego put him in a friendly head-lock and ruffled his hair playfully. The purple-skinned man was radiating with happiness for the first time since he arrived.

Shay noticed the twins were wearing knitted sweaters. A gift from Rynn obviously. Music blared from the surround-sound speakers and Shay could feel the vibrations under his socked feet.

He let out a loud groan when he recognized the song that was playing: 'Don't Wanna Miss A Thing' by Aerosmith.

_Dude, of all the songs there is, why this one?!_ He crouched low to the floor and tried to blend into the scenery. Rachel and Emily were slow-dancing and so were Rynn and Shego. Rynn spotted him as he snuck past and winked.

'You're next,' she mouthed with a sly smirk. The musician gulped.

"Hey dorkzilla!"

He spun around, coming face-to-face with Vicky. Her curly red hair stuck out in all directions, clearly ungroomed.

"Why you sneaking around?"

"Um, I lost my contact lens…" he lied lamely.

"You don't wear contacts retard." The fiery red-head arched an eyebrow sceptically. "Afraid some cute girl is gonna ask you to dance?"

"No. Now scram!" he growled, making shooing motions with his hands. She crossed her arms, annoyed.

"Why don't you just shove it to where the sun doesn't shine?" Vicky snapped, walking away and muttering profanities.

Shay's eyes darted nervously about the room. Nessa was snacking on a cupcake while a sporty-looking teenage boy rambled on about some stupid subject she didn't give two shits about. He didn't seem to notice that she was paying any heed to him.

"_Ohhh, Shaaay-kun!"_ Rynn squealed, appearing out of nowhere and jumping on him. He tried to escape, holding onto a couch leg with both hands.

"NOOOOOOO!!!" he cried, squirming like he had ants in his pants.

"It's no use resisting, Uchiha! You _will_ dance with me!" She dragged him by his feet while he scratched desperately at the floorboards.

"YOU WON'T TAKE ME ALIVE!!!"

"Stop being so dramatic." The elf rolled her eyes. Shego snickered, witnessing the humorous scene. He made a grab for the notorious thief but she moved out of his reach.

"A little help?" he pleaded.

"I don't think so. I'm enjoying this." Shay sighed and let himself go limp.

"Get up before my lovely wife fries your butt," demanded Rynn. He obediently got to his feet, reluctant.

"I suck at dancing," he mumbled.

Shego scoffed. "I've seen you dance. Remember that time at the beach?"

Shay blushed. "That wasn't the same. Break-dancing is in a category of its own." An image of that day when he had slow-danced with the villainess on the beach flashed into his mind. It seemed like such a long time ago.

"How so?" the green woman challenged.

He fumbled to recall his previous statement on the matter for a minute. _It was different then because I danced with you._ He shook his head and sighed. Then he took Rynn's hand and led her away.

Shego went off to dance with Nessa. Shay noticed this. The elf hadn't liked _him_ dancing with the raven-haired beauty and it made him feel a bit irritated and envious.

"Correct me if I'm wrong but I thought you said you didn't approve of Shego dancing with other people…?"

Rynn turned pink, twiddling her thumbs behind his neck.

"Nessa's an exception…"

Shay sneered. "Because she's not a guy? Is that it? Sexist-"

"Oh get over yourself! Nessa doesn't have a pathetic infatuation with my wife!" Rynn snapped, about ready to pummel him.

He huffed, drawing out more space between them without missing a step; not wanting to touch her while dancing anymore than he needed to. Her arms tightened around his neck. She frowned up at him.

"I don't love her," he said coldly.

Rynn studied his serious face before speaking. _Wow, he actually said that with a straight face._ "I know full well that you _did_ love Shego. Why the sudden change in heart?" She waited for his reply.

The unaging celebrity mumbled unintelligibly. Rynn leaned in to hear better. "Didn't quite catch that…"

His lips almost touched her ear as he whispered: "I'm in love with someone else." Her mouth fell open in surprise.

"_Who?!_"

"Let's drop this shall we?"

"No. Who is it?" Her blue eyes grew large in profound realization. "Ohmygodit'sEmily!" she blurted.

"Uh no. That's sorta…wrong-sick."

"It's Nessa," she guessed, seeing the look he was giving her. "Does she know-?"

"Yes. I told her."

He pulled the red-head closer to talk so they wouldn't be overheard by any curious ears. Shego threw him a look of disbelief, not liking his boldness with her lover.

_She can probably hear every word…_he thought sourly.

"Then why did you guys break up? Surely she loves you too," Rynn affirmed.

"She doesn't Rynn." He felt his throat tighten up as he swallowed.

"Gee, I'm sorry…" the elf said quietly, resting her head on his shoulder.

"I'm so tired of waiting around on women. All they do is break my heart and use me," he explained stiffly, seeing she was about to interrupt before he got to the point," And what's the use being a nice guy anyways? It gets me nowhere."

"Don't be stupid. I can't believe I'm saying this to you but it's hard to find a guy like you out there. Don't throw away your chances to love and happiness just because Nessa doesn't feel the same way about you."

Rynn stared at him furiously. They were already dancing to their second song over the duration of their conversation. Another one of Rachel's girl friends was glaring at the red-head as if hoping to burn holes in her with her eyes.

"It's not that bloody simple!"

"You're making it harder than it needs to be!" she yelled back into his face. Someone brushed up to her from behind.

"Is he being difficult?" Nessa giggled.

Shay sniffed and stalked off. Rynn quickly spun around and hugged her like it was the end of the world. Nessa blinked then returned the embrace.

Shego caught Shay as he was about to enter into the kitchen, stepping in front of him. Mego was pouring a drink on the counter and watching them with an odd expression on his face.

"Did you and Rynn get into a fight or something?" the beautiful felon questioned. Shay grimaced.

"It wasn't anything like that, I assure you," he answered calmly. He tried to pass her but she blocked the doorway with her arm. An idea struck him suddenly.

"Dance with me and I'll explain-" he trailed off, glancing up at the top of the furnished threshold. She followed his gaze and rolled her eyes. She pointed a finger up and shot the mistletoe that had been hovering innocently above their heads. It withered as it caught fire, turning to ashes.

"You were saying?"

"-We've got a request for Nickelback, ladies and gentlemen!" the Wegos announced in unison. "Everybody grab a partner!" they cried into the microphone. Shay saw his chance. 'Savin' Me' by the mentioned band started its instructmental beginning.

He took Shego by the hand and pulled her into the living-room, shoving past people who stood in the way. Once he was sure they were out of earshot, he began.

"There's something I need to tell you." The villainess pushed aside the snide sarcastic remark she had saved and turned serious. The sharp claws of her gloves dug dangerously into the delicate skin at the back of his neck.

He gave a shudder but didn't let go of his hold on her as they spun in a slow circle.

"I know you may be relieved to hear that I'm no longer in love you." He had finally said it and meant it for the first time. There was no need to lie. Her reaction was unexpected.

"Are you drunk or did you get hit over the head with your over-active ego?" His face darkened.

"Negative…" he muttered.

"You've been in love with me ever since the day we met and now you're saying you're over me? You're pulling my leg aren't you?" she said curtly. "Please say no." Her emerald-green eyes were fixed on his.

He managed a small smile. "No. You don't sound that relieved-"

"Oh no, I am!" she exclaimed, "No offence."

"None taken." He scratched his cheek and stared off into space.

She caught on quicker than Rynn. "It's Nessa, isn't it?" He nodded.

"I'm happy for you, Shay. It's about time you got over me. And your puppy-dog behaviour was beginning to annoy the hell outta me, too," she admitted frankly.

"Yeah, figured as much." The musician chuckled.

"You must love her a lot then huh?" Shego grinned, showing her pearly whites. She accidently stepped on his foot.

"I do. Are you trying to break my toes?" The ex-heroine ruffled his hair gently and gave him a hug.

"Okay, this is nice," he commented, sighing in contentment.

"And one more thing…I hate you, you stupid idiot."

"I hate you just as much." He smirked, closing his eyes and hugging her back.

"Yo, did I miss something?" Rynn wondered, tapping Shego on the shoulder.

"I'll explain later, but right now…You owe me another dance." The raven-haired beauty flashed her an angelic smile. The happy couple linked arms and strode off, leaving Shay lost in his own thoughts.

Nessa was sitting next to Vicky when he approached, talking excitedly and laughing.

"So he ran around the block completely nude? Wow, that sounds just like Shay!" she said in a stage whisper, knowing that he was listening.

"Sup big bro?" Vicky asked, smiling innocently. Nessa was struggling to hold back her laughter then unable to contain herself, blurted: "Your sister here was telling me some interesting stories about you. So…what size _dress_ do you wear?"

Both women cracked up while Shay looked deeply embarrassed. His face was starting to heat up.

"Shut it, Vic."

"How he even got girlfriends was always astonishing to me," Vicky added boldly, wiping the tears from her eyes.

The outraged musician lunged at her with killing intent. "_I'm gonna fucking kill you!!!"_ he yelled. She kicked at his face. Hego dashed over, posing heroically with each step, and gripped Shay by the collar of his striped polo shirt.

"Now, now," the blue man boomed in his deep voice," There will be no fighting please."

The dark-haired vampire growled menacingly and swiped at Vicky, blood gushing freely from his nose.

After being remotely convinced that Shay had regained control of his temper, Hego released him.

"Take it easy, Mr. Uchiha," he advised.

"Let's go get you some ice," suggested Nessa, putting down her empty bottle of Smirnoff Ice and getting to her feet with difficulty. Shay helped Nessa up the stairs to the second floor bathroom. They bumped into Emily and Rachel, who were kissing on the top steps.

"What happened to your nose?" Emily asked, gawking at the musician.

"Vicky kicked me in the face."

The brunette shook her head. "That girl needs to stop being so violent."

"She was born a vampire remember? Acts of aggression is in her nature," Shay retorted. Nessa turned pale and her knees wobbled unsteadily.

"I think I'm gonna be sick…" she announced with a weezy gasp of air. She dashed for the bathroom with a hand clamped over her mouth. Rachel quickly moved out of her way to avoid being puked on.

Emily dabbed at Shay's nose with the sleeve of her dark-blue hoody. "I'd better go check if Nessa's okay," he told her; uncomfortable about the way the young actress was eying him. It looked as if she wanted to eat his face or something.

Nessa was bent over the toilet bowl when he found her, retching. He held her hair out of the way as she continued to empty her stomach contents into the toilet. When it was over, she sat back and pressed her forehead to the side of the bathtub, liking the relief of its coolness against her forehead.

Nessa got up, flushed the toilet, and took a new toothbrush from the sink cabinet and brushed her teeth. "Let's get you cleaned up," she said flatly after she had gurgled with mouthwash and spat it into the sink.

The unaging musician let her play doctor for the time being. "The swelling is starting to go down at least, " she pointed out, rinsing clean the blood-soaked rag face cloth again.

"Thanks," he said when she had finished washing the blood off his nose and chin.

"Will you lie down with me for a while? My head sorta hurts."

"How could I refuse such a tempting offer?' He followed her to one of the spare bedrooms at the end of the hall, not relaxing until the door closed with a soft _click _behind him. Nessa flopped down onto the bed with a long sigh.

He sat Indian-style beside her. The room was silent for a long time. He focused on the steady rhythm of her breathing, counting how many breaths she took.

"Shay?"

"Hm?" She sat up slowly, facing him. He looked into her eyes, unsure.

"I want you to kiss me like you did before."

"Why?"

"Cause I need you to," she affirmed hastily. He leaned in until their lips were touching very lightly.

"And what do I get in return for my services?" he breathed.

Nessa didn't answer. She kissed him feverishly, running her fingers through his hair and straddling his lap.

His hands automatically went to her hips and then slid down her thighs. She stripped off her sweater and he got a pretty good view of her bra when her shirt slipped up a bit. Shay immediately stopped when she reached for his belt.

"I can't," he muttered, releasing her and swinging his legs over the edge of the bed and staring blankly through the window at the starry night sky.

The stars were like fireflies, glowing luminously in the dark and sometimes blinking while the moon shone, half-full and ghost-like.

"Can't what? Are you saying you don't want me?"

"Please don't play that card, Ness. You know I do." He had his back to her.

"Shine some light on it for me then," said Nessa," Is it because I don't love you the way you love me?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

"I'm sorry," she choked, tears streaking her cheeks, "I'm sorry I don't feel the same way you do."

Shay turned around, startled by the unexpected waterworks. He felt guilty for making her cry. "Don't waste your tears on me."

"Jerk," she mumbled into his shoulder as he hugged her.

"And _I_ should be the one apologizing here. I shouldn't be so selfish and insensitive."

"Now you're being stupid." He couldn't think of a comeback. "You're too forgiving."

"Okay, I think I'm getting the point…" He frowned.

"And you lucky you're so good at kissing you could make it a profession."

"I want to test that theory," he replied, eyes flickering to her lips. Nessa gave him a crooked grin.

"I'm game." He smirked and resumed kissing her. _Damn, _he thought,_ this is one my worst and best Christmases ever. Oh the irony._


End file.
